Motor for railway-cars



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MOTOR POR RAILWAY GARS. I No. 387,726. Patented Aug. 14,1888.

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MOTOR POR RAILWAY GARS. I No. 387,726. Patented Aug. 14, '1888.

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MOTOR. FOR RAILWAY GARS. No. '387,726l Patented Aug. 14, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. MODOUGALL, OF EAST ORANGE, NE\V JERSEY.

MOTOR FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,726, dated August 14, 1888.

Application filed February i3, 1888. Serial No. 263,853. (No model.)

To alZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that LWILLIAM M. MoDoU- GALL, of East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented an Improvement in Electric Motors for Railway- Cars, of which the following is a specification.

Electric motors revolving at a rapid rate are not adapted to driving railway-cars except by reducing the rate of revolution.

My present invention is adapted to the con-` nection of the electric motor with the axle of the street-railway car in a simple and efficient manner, so that the car-body may rise and fall upon the axle and carry with it the electric motor, which is fastened to the under side of the platform, and the reducing-gearing is so constructed and mounted that the parts are not strained by the change of the relative position, and the connection is made very direct and simple.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan View, partially in section, representing the motor and the connections to the axle of the carwheel. Fig. 2 is a cross-section near the line x m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevationv of the motor, and Fig. 4 is a plan view of a single connection adapted to rotating the car-wheels in one direction only, or to a motor capable of revolving in either one direction or the other.

The wheels A are upon the axle B, and usually there is a second pair of wheels, C, with their axle I). The electric motor E is of any desired character. The one shown serves to illustrate such an electric motor as is adapted to thcpresent purposes, there being anges 2, by which the motor is connected with the under side of the car, and the armature shaft 3, commutator 4, and cnd frames, 5 6.

On the axle Bis a bevel gear-wheel, II, and the bevel-pinion I gears with the saine. This bevel-pinion I is upon a flexible shaft, K, that is connected with the armatureshaft 3 of the electric motor. Around the axle B is a journal box or bearing, L, from one side of which the frame L extends to the frame of the electric motor E7 and terminates as a ball, 8,Within the socket 9, so that this bali and socket make a permanent connection between the frame L and the frame of the electric motor, and the car can rise and fall upon the springs and in relation to the axle B without the connection between the frame L and the electric motorE becoming bent or injured in consequence of this ball-and-socketj oint; but itis usually preferable to support the iianges of the electric motor in slidewa-ys M upon the under side of the car, so that the same may have a slight endwise movement as the frame L describes the arc of a circle during the rise or fall of the carbody. Upon this frame L are the bearings for the shaft K of the bcvelpinion I, so that such pinion remains in gear with the Wheel H at all times.

In Fig. 4. I have shown the shaft K as connected directly with the armature-shaft 3, so that the pinion I revolves by a direct connection to such armature-shaft; but in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 I have shown the flexible shaft K as extending to the far end of the electric motor and provided with a gear-wheel, P, into which the pinion Q on the armature shaft 3 gears, thereby reducing the speed of the pinion I, wheel H, and axle B in relation to the speed of the electric rnotor, and this form usually will be preferable, as electric motors run to the best advantage ata high speed, and thereby sufficient power is obtained by reducing the speed of the axle relatively to the motor.

In all instances it is necessary to make the shaft K iiexible because of the change of position of the motor to the gearing by the risc and fall of the car-body. I prefer to make this flexible shaft with a central steel-wire core surrounded by helices Wound in alternate opposite directions, so that the entire shaft is flexible; but it is adapted to transmit motion without being injured by the twisting action. Flexible shafts of this kind are well known and in public use. One end of this iiexible shaft is fastened to theshaft of the pinion I, preferably by making the shaft of the pinion tubular and prolonging the flexible shaft through such tubular shaft and fastening the flexible shaft to the tubular shaft of the pinion at the distant end from the electric motor, and in cases where the liexible shaft is directly connected to the armature-shaft, as in Fig. 4., the armatureshaft is preferably tubular for thc flexible shaft to pass through the same and be attached to the back end of such armature-shaft.

In the form represented in Figs. l, 2,.and 3 IOO it is preferable to employ a tubular shaft, P. for the gcanwheel P, such shaft being supported in bearings or boxes l0 and 1l upon the frames of the electric motor, and the llexible shaft Kpasses through this tubular shaft and is fastened at the back end at I, thereby al lowing suficient length for the flexible shaft to allow for the relative movements of the parts, as before set forth.

It will be apparent that the frame L and ball-and-socket `joint and the gearing before described may be made use of if a universal joint is introduced between two parts of the rigid shaft, thereby forming a ilexible shaft to connect the pinion l with the electric motor.

In Fig. 1 I have represented a second bevel gear-wheel, R, upon the axle B, and two sliding clutches, S S, upon feathers or keys upon the axle B, and a leverfl, and fork U for shifting the sliding clutches S S. In this instance the bevel gear-wheels H and 1t will be loose upon the axle B, and the sliding` clutches S S' will be used to connect one wheel or the other with the axle for rotating such axle in one direction or the ot-her, or for disconnecting both bevel gear-wheels from the axle, so that such gear-wheels may continue to rotate while the car stands still.

l claim as niy iuvention- 1 The coinbination,with the car wheels and axle and an electric motor supported by the ear-b0dy, of a bevel geanwhcel upon the earaxle, a pinion to drive the same, a fralne supported at one end by a journal or beari ng upon the earaxle and connected at the other end by a ball-and-socket joint to the frame ofthe electric motor, and a ilexible shaft between the pinion and the electric motor, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the car axle and wheels,of an electric motor having [langes at the upper part of the frame, slides attached to the under side of the car-body for supporting the ilanges and motor, the bevel-gearing and a flexible shaft for connecting the armature of the motor and the axle ofthe car, and a frame having a journal box or bearing at one end for the eaxwaxle and the hall-and-soeketjoi ntat the other end to connect the frame with the frame of the electric motor, substantially as set forth.

The combination, with an electric motor connected at the under side of a railwaycar and the axle or wheels, of a bevel-wheel upon the axle, a pinion gearing with the saule, a frame extending from the axle to the frame of the 1notor,and a connection that allows the parts to turn as the ear rises and falls,a tubular shaft receiving motion from the revolution of the armature, and a flexible shaft passing into said tubular shaft and attached at one end t0 said pinion and at the other end to said tubular shaft, substantially as set forth.

Signed by ine this Sth day of February,18SS.

WILLIAM M. McDOUGALL.

Wil nessus:

Geo. l. PINGKNEY, WILLIAM G. Mor'r. 

